Setting the pace as the leader in customized newsletters
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Setting the pace as the leader in customized newsletters
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Leadership Articles Index The newest articles are are towards the bottom of the page. (high number)
The use of these articles are for our clients only. You must have permission from Sorrell Associates to use these articles in any format. We add articles to this page constantly. With over 4000 articles currently in our archive it will take some time to get them on this page. Keep checking back. Want to submit an article? Click Here L101 Characteristics Of An Outstanding Leader Wisdom is one of the primary characteristics of an outstanding leader - leaders have an insatiable curiosity for discovering and learning new things. Leadership and learning go together. If you have… Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L108 Distinction: Visionary Vs. LeaderDefinitionsVisionary - someone who sees things that don’t exist yet Leader - someone who influences people Comparisons: idea oriented vs. people oriented excited by the new vs. excited by reality Example: Kerrie had radical ideas about how... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
TM105 "Three key roles in team leadership"
Leadership roles involve many skills, from being a good compromiser, to functioning as the group conscience by keeping discussion moving toward the common goal. At your next meeting, try one or more of these techniques: Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L110 Traits of a successful leader Cumulative research of effective leaders has created a solid foundation of the most potent traits of a leader. Are you an effective leader? Look at the traits below and rate yourself in each area. This will give you an idea of your strengths and weaknesses and help you to focus on becoming an even better leader. Leaders are grounded. They know who they are and where they are going. They set the direction and pace for the organization and lead by example. World class leaders are reliable, trustworthy, genuine, real and positive. They make everyone... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L111 Tips For Leading Your Former Peers Leading people who were once your teammates can be a new leader’s biggest challenge. The following steps can help if you’re having problems: • Talk with the people. Ask them why they’re having problems with you. Are they jealous, disappointed, or just having trouble adjusting? Keep probing them — nonaggressively — until you reach the root of the problem. • Express your understanding of their feelings. Can you... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L112 Tips For Leaders If you have a team member who is unsure of himself, tends to hover in the background, and avoids risk, try the following coaching statements to draw out your wallflower. Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L113 The Top 10 Characteristics Of An Effective Leader Are YOU a Perfect 10? According to an opinion survey of 5,000 workers, employees look for the following characteristics in an effective leader: 1. Has the ability to give clear direction. 2. Practices candid, honest, and open communication; encourages two-way communication and creates a climate of trust. 3. Is willing to coach and support people. 4. Relates... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L114 Do you have the right mix of charisma and humility? Too much humility can weaken a leader. Too much charisma can be as bad, says executive coach Patrick Lencioni. To find out where you stand, answer "True" or "False" to each statement: 1. I believe others in my organization are as important as I am. 2. Praise doesn't bother me. 3. I respect others' time as much as my own. 4. I believe my leadership is a key factor in my... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L115 Do You Have Leadership Traits?
L116 The Top 10 Attributes of LeadersAre leaders “born” or can anyone learn to be a leader? The best leadership training for potential leaders should be the best training about leadership - what is entailed in being a leader, and what can go wrong, as well as what can go right. 1. Leaders are persons who, by word and/or personal example, markedly influence the behaviors, thoughts, and/or feelings of a significant number of their fellow beings, followers, or audience. The leader’s voices affect their worlds, and ultimately, our world. 2. The key to leadership is the effective communication of a... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L117 Leadership The Challenge People everywhere continue to look for the secret to becoming a better leader. Thousands of books and articles have been written on the art of leadership all claiming to have the "answers." The fact is there is no one answer, no "secret." However, some guiding principles and skills are fundamental to successful leaders everywhere. These skills, principles, and traits can be developed. Rate yourself in each area below, identify areas of weaknesses, and then create some goals and action steps to help you develop the successful leadership traits. • Leaders are grounded. They know who they are and where they are going. They set the direction and pace for the organization/department and lead by example. An effective leader helps to create an organization where everyone feels free to be... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L118 When Employees Set Standards When Andy Heck played football for head coach Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, he switched positions on the offensive line. It was a tough transition. One day, watching game films with the assistant coach, Heck complained about a negative grade the coach gave him for a play that Heck thought was OK. "Andy, I don’t think you’re an average player," the assistant coach said, stopping the film. "Do you want me to grade you as an average player so your mark will be positive? Or should I grade you as a great player, in which case your performance on that play was a minus? You choose." Heck chose "great player," and Holtz says "he immediately... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L119 The Top 10 Traits of Super Star Business People Emotional Intelligence is more important then IQ in superstar success. 1. They listen well and have great oral communication skills. They have mastered the art of listening, can hold off giving their opinion, and keep an open mind to what is being said. They also can speak in a positive, friendly and encouraging manner even when giving constructive feedback. 2. They are adaptable and have creative responses to setbacks and obstacles. These super star performers look creatively and hopefully at setbacks and turn those obstacles into opportunities. 3. Highly successful people have strong personal management skills and... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L120 Leading by Empowerment How often does your organization give employees responsibility without a clear direction or an understanding of the expectations? This can, and most often will, result in low productivity, confusion, and lack of results, that creates low morale and possibly high turn-over. However, employees that are empowered will produce amazing results in the workplace, and usually do it with a great attitude and enthusiasm. When leaders and managers empower effectively, they don't... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L121 Having trouble implementing change? Help employees put it in perspective. THE MAGIC PEBBLES By John Wayne Schlatter It is the habitual thought that frames itself into our life. It affects even more than our intimate social relations do. Our confidential friends have not so much to do in shaping our lives as the thoughts which we harbor. J.W.Teal "Why do we have to learn all of this dumb stuff?" Of all the complaints and questions I have heard from my students during my years in the classroom, this was the one most frequently uttered. I would answer it by recounting the following legend: One night a group of nomads was preparing to retire for the evening when suddenly they were surrounded by a bold, vibrant light. They knew they were in the presence... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L122 The Best Leaders Argue With Success We've all heard the adage "You can't argue with success." But if you don't question your own success, you're doomed to eventual failure. Here are some ways you and your staff can fight complacency: • Court complainers. Not all of your customers are happy. Bring in unhappy customers and let them speak directly to employees about product or service improvements. • Study the competition. Identify competitors that... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L123 QUALIFICATIONS OF THE LEADER It is by no means enough that a leader should be capable in his or her profession. He or she must be that, of course, but also a great deal more. He or she should be as well a gentleman or gentlewoman of liberal education, refined manners, punctilious courtesy, and the nicest sense of personal honor. A leader should be the... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L124 Implementing Change in the Workplace There is a saying that “the only thing constant is change.” All of us experience some form of extensive change in our lives and in the business world, change seems to be an ongoing endeavor to implement increased profitability and efficiency. This comes in the form of consolidation, downsizing, changing job descriptions and duties, automation, technological improvements, continuous improvement training and other measures to improve business results. However, many businesses and organizations ignore the first and foremost obstacle to change, which is the fact that virtually no one likes change. When employers execute a change in the work place, typical employee reactions are: Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L125 Follow These Steps to become an ideal leader As a leader in your organization, how much impact do you have on its performance? Probably more than you know. You may have been a leader for many years now, or recently promoted. Your organization may be a for-profit business or a church organization. It may be a not-for-profit community service organization or a local sporting organization. It matters not. What matters is that your leadership of your organization will directly impact the results you get. It has been said... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L126 Six Secrets to Creating Leadership Momentum No matter where you are in your career, taking the leadership role in your organization is a given. Here is the lesson about creating leadership momentum. It’s not about you, it’s about them. True leadership begins through valuing others. In working with many law firms, major corporations and associations, everyone plays a leadership role, from the receptionist all the way through the organization to the top dog. Does everyone on your... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L127 The Fear Factor Fear is big news these days and not just with the reality shows. A recent survey by Jericho Communications of over 20% of Fortune 1000 CEO’s revealed that 43% cited fear as the number one motivating factor while money motivated only 7%. Their collective response indicates a potential disconnect from what many people hear from today’s coaches and motivational speakers. In today’s self-help abounding society, we hear more about embracing the rewards and visualizing your achievements than we hear about using fear to achieve your goals. Yet according to these successful individuals, fear is what motivated them. How can we explain this “Fear Factor”? Possibly using the life Wheel may shed some light. The life wheel is comprised of 6 key areas: Mental, Physical, Family, Career/Financial, Social and Ethics/Beliefs. Using the graphic that has been provided, begin at the center and shade each area working from the center to the outer rim. The shaded area represents your potential, your satisfaction, or your happiness. You define the terms. The unshaded area is what... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L128 Forecasting for Growth To be effective as a leader, you must develop skills in strategic thinking. Strategic thinking is a process whereby you learn how to make your business vision a reality by developing your abilities in team work, problem solving, and critical thinking. It is also a tool to help you confront change, plan for and make transitions, and envision new possibilities and opportunities. Strategic thinking is like making a movie. Every movie has a context (or story) which it uses to get you to experience a certain outcome (an emotion, in this case) at the end of the movie. Strategic thinking is much the same in that it requires you to envision what you want your ideal outcome to be for your business and then works backwards by focusing on the story of HOW you will be able to reach your vision. As you develop a strategic vision for your business, there are five different criteria that you should focus on. These five criteria will help you define your ideal outcome. In addition, they will help you set up and develop the steps necessary to make your business vision a reality. The following is a list of the five criteria of the... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L129 Telework Has a Part-Time Future By the year 2010, more than half of American wage earners will spend more than two days a week working outside the office, reports the Sulzer Infrastructure Services firm in London. Today, 28 million people "telework" under formal company policies--a leap from 4 million in 1990--and millions more work informally out of the office one or more days a week. As inexpensive broadband Internet access and mobile technologies take hold, the number will increase, says Toni Kistner, managing editor of Net.Worker, a division of Network World magazine. "The technology has steamrolled ahead, making it cheaper and easier to work from anywhere." It will be rare even 10 years from now, however, to find people in any profession who... Members can read this entire article by clicking here L130 Internet Drives Shift To Leaderless Corporations
xpect more teamwork at the top. According to Business Week, truly leaderless corporations will continue to make more sense because the Internet allows information to be shared horizontally. In 1987, 28 percent of the largest 1,000 public companies boasted at least some self-directed groups, according to USC’s Center for Effective Organizations. By 1996, 78 percent had some. And the trend continues today. Some CEOs say they ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L131 The High Performance Work Force By Ryan Scholz President, Leadership Strategies Associates
eople can make a difference in the profitability and success of an organization. This is the conclusion reached in two recent books I have read – Peak Performance by Jon Katzenbach and Hidden Value by Charles A. O’Reilly and Jeffrey Pfeffer.
Katzenbach characterizes a high performance workforce as follows: 1) A large number (more than a third) of employees consistently exceed the expectations of their leaders and customers 2) The average worker performs better than the average competitors worker 3) A strong emotional commitment to higher standards and aspirations is reflected across the workforce 4) The collective performance of the workforce is a competitive advantage and is extremely difficult to copy
What then... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L132 Leading Through Downsizing
eading staff through downsizing, resizing, rightsizing, (or whatever the buzz word is today) requires the leader to exercise superior planning, judgment, and decision-making. It's a complicated task that involves the leader in recognizing the natural reactions of those that remain in the organization, and determining the right timing for moving the organization from the emotional reactions to a focus on the present and future. While it is difficult, the consequences of mis-managing or under-managing the situation are severe. Both management and staff will suffer if the timing is wrong, or managers deny or avoid dealing with the fall-out from downsizing. Here are some tips that will help:
٭ Take time to talk with the “survivors” (the remaining staff) and ask them how you can help them during this very emotional ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L133 “Learning Leadership from Rudy Giuliani”
re you wondering how to lead your staff during a crisis? Well former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani certainly showed us how to lead during a crisis. He gave us all comfort and direction leading us through the worst disaster in recent history. Here are only a few of the things Giuliani did correctly and what you can do when faced with a crisis: Ground Zero. In the aftermath of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, Rudy Giuliani stood tall at ground zero to console and encourage not only New York, but the entire country. All too often leaders hide behind closed doors, trying to turn things around, when they should be standing side by side within the crisis area inspiring their people to greatness. Identify the damage from the... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L134 Word Count: 684 “Formal Leadership” (part 1) This is part one of a five part series on Formal Leadership. Each concept works alone however; fits nicely with the other articles. Please contact us if you miss an article. A Concept Of Leadership Throughout the years, volumes have been written which list and elaborate upon the characteristics of leaders. You need only check the literature on the subject to discover that there are as many characteristics, and combinations of characteristics, as there are leaders. With all their differences however, leaders do have some fundamental similarities. s Successful leaders have mastered the art of self-leadership and authenticity. Authenticity implies genuineness, reliability, and trustworthiness. s Successful leaders have taken the time to crystallize a personal vision of the future, which will become the foundation or cornerstone for a shared vision. They are able to attract as well as inspire commitment among the people whose collective effort will make this vision a reality. s Successful leaders understand how to align and maximize resources to realize the vision. The leader’s role is to create alignment between vision, strategy, structure, processes, and people with focus on attracting and maintaining a loyal customer base. As a leader, you must be many things to many people. First, you must have... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L135 Word Count:897 “Formal Leadership” (part 2) This is part two of a five part series on Formal Leadership. Each concept works alone however; fits nicely with the other articles. Please contact us if you miss an article. The Leader As Coach Vision alone is not enough. Much like a football team that is playing in the Super Bowl, having a game plan and the desire to win is important. However, winning depends upon execution. One of your primary roles as a leader is that of coach. Coaches reinforce the results they believe people are capable of achieving. One way to develop a winning team is to surround yourself with extraordinary people. Another is to surround yourself with ordinary people who, through your leadership and coaching, achieve extraordinary results. As Sam Walton once said, "…there's absolutely no limit to what plain, ordinary working people can do if they're given the opportunity and the encouragement and the incentive to be their best." As a coach, your role is to help people develop winning attitudes and improve their skills. A coach helps people see beyond the problems, the limitations, and the "known," to focus on solutions and opportunities which are sometimes found by venturing into the “unknown”. If you are going to create a winning team, you must be good at coaching. You must be able to... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L136 Word Count: 385 Do You Consider Yourself A Great Leader? Why should they follow you?
eople follow leaders because they trust you and believe in you. They also have the confidence in you to take them to the next level. However, it only takes one incident to break the trust and have people looking for leadership in others and not in you. Also leaders are expected to: Hire the best most qualified people. People want to work with other top performers on teams and in departments. A good leader has the ability to bring out the best in everyone. 1 2 3 4 5 Not be controlling. Leaders of the... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L137 Word Count: 314 6 Steps To Overcoming Resistance To Change Transforming The Organization Series – Article 1
here may be people who will resist change because it is different or new. Resistance to change is a common and universal malady. Therefore, understanding some of the barriers to change may help in creating and implementing successful growth strategies. Some common barriers to change and innovation are: s Lack of data makes decision making difficult s Personal goals conflict with professional goals s Management behavior discourages implementation s Employees don’t understand or really want to make the change s Poor communication of vision, values, and mission s Recognition and appraisals are inconsistent with attaining goals s Unwillingness to develop new goals s Lack of process and structure Addressing resistance to change becomes a major focus and an integral part of a unified implementation strategy. To successfully implement change, several... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L138 Word Count: 330 Leading During Times Of Change Transforming The Organization Series – Article 2
f the many issues with which we wrestle each day, one certain truth is: the future “There is a story by Price Pritchett in which he recounts his experience of viewing firsthand All too often, we are like the fly. Instead of trying harder, doing the same things, we need to do different things. We must break the shackles of conformity, challenge the routine, and break out of existing paradigms. At the core of succeeding in today’s competitive environment is the ability to constantly improve, and reinvent the way we do business. The key to working smarter is knowing the difference between motion and direction, between activity and focused action. To lead, we must be adept at balancing what must... Members can read this entire article by clicking here L139 Word Count: 445 “How To Create Alignment In Your Company” Transforming The Organization Series – Article 3 This is the third article in our series Transforming The Organization.
lignment is the balanced harmony between interdependent people, When all critical components are aligned, results will continue to improve. If there is conflict between any two issues, there can be dissolution of the whole. For example, if you want to... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L140 Word Count: 551 “Valueship” Transforming The Organization Series – Article 4 Valueship is not a new concept. Those who are already leading successful companies are doing so because
Never before in history has Valueship been more important than it is today. Almost daily, role models, athletes, corporate leaders, and government officials are accused (and all too often convicted) of theft, drugs, or graft. Adultery is so common that many people give very little thought to the gravity or potential pain and loss it can... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L141 Word Count: 331 “Core Values” Transforming The Organization Series – Article 5
alues-based leadership begins with identifying core values. Core values are the basic principles which we have chosen to guide our actions. Core values define beliefs, standards, and acceptable behaviors. Once determined and communicated throughout the organization, they guide and govern the decisions and actions of the individuals and the organization. The core values shape the organizational culture and the behavior and actions of all who are associated with that organization. The core values provide the framework for decisions, priorities, and actions. Some examples of organization core values are: s Our integrity has not room for error. s We will conduct our business honestly. s Our “customers” must always be treated respectfully. s We believe that our employees are the key to our success. s Our actions will evidence trust, credibility, uncompromising integrity, and dignity of the individual. s We believe that our first responsibility is to our patients. The fours values of... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L142 Word Count: 803 “Identifying Values” This is the last article in the "Transforming the organization series". Article 6.
any people have given little more than a passing thought to identifying the values that govern their personal behavior, and even fewer organizations have done do. Instead, they accept the values of others or let situations determine the values. In almost all cases in which values are not clearly defined, good decisions are more difficult to make. Without values, people are easily influenced and decisions are subject to frequent change or compromise. "Situational values" confuse people, and create problems and complexity. Successful leaders make important decisions based on a set of core values...doing the right things for the right reasons. In an organization, personal values may differ. A leader will help everyone focus on a "common-good" value that will engender a desire for cooperation and team work, without invalidating those personal differences. What are your values? Can you easily and specifically identify them? What about the people throughout your organization? Are they committed to the organizational values? Take time to clarify or review the values you hold as a leader. Focus on what is really important to you, and ask yourself, "What are those few beliefs that I value so ... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L143 Word Count: 380 “Formal Leadership” This is part three of a five part series on Formal Leadership. Each concept works alone however; fits nicely with the other articles. Please contact us if you miss an article. The Leader As Mentor While many aspects of the mentoring role are similar to coaching, the significant difference lies in the mentor's advisory or teaching role. A mentor is a trusted advisor and tutor. Mentors share the benefit of their experience and knowledge. It is a critical role in developing individuals who will collectively be responsible for the success of the organization. As a mentor you should: s Seek innovation, s Encourage experimentation, s Reward appropriate risk taking, s Drive out fear, s Develop trust and full cooperation, and s Create an environment where everyone communicates freely, honestly, and positively. Establish an environment that... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L144 Word Count: 371 “Formal Leadership” This is part four of a five part series on Formal Leadership. Each concept works alone however; fits nicely with the other articles. Please contact us if you miss an article. The Leader As Director In the director’s role, the leader is like a symphony orchestra conductor. Everyone knows their part, comes in on cue, and maintains the tempo that has been established. The conductor does not play the instruments, that is the role of the musicians. Each musician does not decide when to play, that is the role of the conductor. The role of the conductor is to elicit the best possible individual performance in concert with the entire orchestra to create a symphony of sound. The conductor encourages and contributes to practice. Each individual knows his/her part. Each knows how critical that part is to the whole. The conductor brings each of the individual parts in at precisely the right time and place. The leader/director establishes the direction for the organization and for the people. This does not mean the leader is the authoritarian expert who... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L145 Word Count: 878 “Formal Leadership” This is part five of a five part series on Formal Leadership. Each concept works alone however; fits nicely with the other articles. Please contact us if you miss an article. Authority and Power Have you ever observed two individuals of equal position, rank, and authority in an organization? One seems to accomplish everything successfully and with ease, while the other seems to always be "under the gun," having a crisis, and a difficult time. The true leaders in any organization are easy to recognize. They're the ones who always seem to accomplish more with apparent ease. The key is their ability to get others to accomplish more than they thought they could. The effective leader is one who makes a difficult task look easy. An ineffective leader is one who makes a simple task look difficult. This phenomenon occurs at all levels in an organization. Improving your understanding of two concepts, authority and power, can help you to develop a more effective leadership style and help others to become better leaders. The terms authority and power have been used interchangeably over the years. However, power and authority are two very different concepts. Understanding each will help you to drive leadership skills throughout the organization. Power may be defined as the ability or capacity to act in ways which influence the behavior of others. It is a personal talent which can be developed. It is the ability to get others to do things. It has little or nothing to do with title, rank, or authority. Power is a measure of personal effectiveness. It is granted to you by those over whom you have influence. Power is earned and given by those who follow. Authority, on the other hand, defines limits and actions which you have the contractual right to take or use. It is granted to you by the organization as part of the organization’s attempt to control and manage. It is the right to settle disputes, to control operations, to make and implement decisions, and to administer or manage. It has little or nothing to do with the ability to influence the behavior or others. It is entirely possible to possess a great deal of power, while not possessing... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
L146 Word Count: 963 Building Success Attitudes And Habits For most people, developing positive attitudes about growth, innovation, and possibilities is not an easy process. It involves the formation of new habits which can take days, weeks, months, and even years before they become an integral part of our lives. The task is not easy, but it can be done. The process of change can be divided into three parts: First: Understand that attitudes are habits of thought that give some degree of internal satisfaction. Second: Analyze the habit as honestly as possible to learn what kind of satisfaction it provides. Third: Remember that the mind does not work in a vacuum – you can’t simply erase a habit and leave an empty space; therefore, you must replace the old habit with a new, more effective habit, which offers you greater satisfaction. To change your attitudes, you must be willing to sit down, and take an “inside-out” look at yourself. We are products of everything we have inherited and are exposed to. We are a product of family, friends, genes, parents, disasters, triumphs, role models, leaders, experiences, and more. By examining... Members can read this entire article by clicking here 147 Word Count: 677 “Collaborating For Results” (This is a part 1 of a 3 part series on effective collaboration.) “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” Imagine an acoustical engineer, an electrical designer, a pilot, and a manufacturing engineer in a computer generated, virtual environment putting their heads together in to running jet engine simulation to offer their expert opinions on what they see. This is collaboration, and it is happening everywhere people think together about the same problem, situation, or goal. The technology for collaboration, created at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications Simulation, is being applied in industry to areas of scientific visualization, manufacturing design, rapid prototyping, and education. In a competitive environment, collaboration is critical to innovation, inspiration, and speed. Collaboration is a way of energizing people to work and think together. It is the exploration of multiple options from various perspectives. Collaboration is the process of people thinking and working together to discover ways to solve problems; address complex or cross-functional issues; improve processes, products or systems; or invent new ones. Creative, collective thinking applied to work we do leads to examination of how we do it, and how we can do it better. This means discovering new ways that are better, simpler, more efficient, or faster. You will discover many advantages to getting the individuals within your organization to collaborate with others and share their... Members can read this entire article by clicking here L148 Word Count: 659 “Rules For Collaboration” This is part two of a three part series on effective collaboration. As we embark upon a new era in business, an era that increasingly deals more with ideas than objects, we must focus upon creating learning organizations that acquire and apply knowledge, ideas, and improvement, AND do it quickly. More and more, speed is a significant factor in getting and maintaining a competitive advantage. Just having information is no longer enough. The information must be turned into ideas and improvements that can be implemented quickly. Collaboration is the key for better ideas, improvements, and quick implementation. Rules For Collaboration Consider the rules well. By just knowing and applying these three rules, you can influence your collaborations to go smoother and produce better results. Collaboration has three simple rules: s There must be shared space. s There must be common goals for collective effort. s The goals must drive toward tangible results, not just activity. For collaboration to occur, people must... Members can read this entire article by clicking here L149 Eight Key Leadership Strategies Peter Drucker, called by BusinessWeek “the most enduring management thinker of our time,” turned 96 this month. In a June 2004 Harvard Business Review article What Makes an Effective Executive?, Drucker said that, as different as effective leaders may be, they all follow 8 practices: 1. Focus on opportunities rather than problems. 2. Run productive meet 3. Think “we” rather than “I.” 4. Take... Members can read this entire article by clicking here
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t seems that one of the secrets to a productive workforce—and therefore a successful business—is an elusive thing called good morale. Just what is good morale? It usually refers to how your employees feel about their jobs, you and your business. And that can directly affect your bottom line.
So the next question would be: "What contributes to good morale in the work environment?"
It’s a myth that good employees care only about money. Money is important, but there are many items that contribute to an employee’s morale. Interestingly, some are so fundamental that we tend to miss them completely. For instance, do your employees feel:
Treated fairly and respectfully?
Valued and appreciated?
Recognized and possibly even rewarded for their work?
It shouldn’t take you long to realize that if you wish to attract, recruit and retain good employees, fair and respectful treatment is a given. Employees who do not feel valued and appreciated will either contribute less effort as time goes on, or leave for greener pastures where they will be appreciated.
Continued from page one - rewards
In addition, everyone likes to have achievements and efforts recognized. Even though personal satisfaction is usually generated from within ourselves, it is always more meaningful if someone else notices and shares the success. Thus the concept of recognition and rewards.
Rewards can motivate and encourage employees to contribute to their own success and that of your business. Now, we’re not talking big-ticket items like a car or trip to some exotic locale. On the contrary, employees are often delighted with a range of rewards that can be provided at little or no cost. Most importantly, ensure your program fits the culture and image of your company.
he most effective reward and recognition programs have ...
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Future Insights
Stay flexible. Change will be constant. New opportunities will present themselves. Unexpected challenges will throw themselves at you. Be ready to duck, bob, weave, side step, and hop-scotch. Agility is power.
Stay alert to your own environment. Even carefully watching the trends, we can't predict everything that will happen to you and your company. Futurists work at the "30,000 foot" level; corporate leaders operate at the mountain top level. Keep your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground.
Practice "Future Thinking." Always look ahead in everything you do. Anticipate, project. Consider the future consequences of every decision you make. Train and encourage your executives, managers, and supervisors to think the same way. Build this kind of active futures perspective into your company's culture.
Clarify your mission. While consultants have ...
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Future Insights
Beware of empires. Guard against any manager building a bureaucratic dynasty that gets in your way of performance. Cross-train your people, enable them to work productively together across departmental or functional lines. Stay fluid and flexible.
Emphasize personal and professional growth. Establish and maintain a learning environment. Use education, training, and development to help every worker become more competent, more confident. Link personal and corporate growth objectives to build the congruency that bonds people to your company. When people can meet their personal needs through their employment with you, they'll be more likely to stay.
Show appreciation. Tomorrow's employees, like today's, are hungry for appreciation. Thank your people every day. Be sincere and specific. Train all your managers and supervisors to follow your example, consistently. Seek creative ways to show you care.
Use contingent workers. Let go of the ...
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Developing A High-Performance Culture?
In the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy stated that he wanted to send a man to the moon and bring him back safely by the end of the decade; a pretty lofty goal. Senator George Smathers from Florida agreed with the “lofty goal” part. So, before voting to secure funds for the initiative, he wanted to make sure he made the right decision. He visited Cape Canaveral to do a bit of detective work on his own. After much time, observation, questioning and exploration he still had not made a decision.
At the end of the day he saw a worker cleaning up and asked what her job was. Her reply was simple, “I’m part of a team that’s going to send a man to the moon and bring him back safely by the end of the decade.” Decision made!
This is an example of strategic alignment at its best. Everyone knows the organization’s charge, and all of the stars are in alignment (strategic intention: systems, processes, leadership, management, expectations, authority, responsibility, individual empowerment and supportive behavior). But what happens when the stars are misaligned; when the systems and departments are out of sync? What happens when a department exists for the good of itself and individuals behave selfishly rather than for the greater customer and organizational good?
The simple fact is that the more an organization’s systems and processes are aligned with its strategic intention—and all of the employees support this alignment behaviorally—the greater the opportunity for success.
In fact, if the plan is sound, it’s almost impossible to fail no matter how ambitious the organization or that plan is—even if that includes sending a man to the moon.
Organizations are complex entities. Effective leadership calls for ...
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L159
Word Count: 596
The Qualities of Skillful Leadership
"If you wish others to believe in you, you must first convince them that you believe in them." -- Harvey Mackay
If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills, and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager, as a parent. I call leadership the great challenge of life.
What's important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here are some specifics:
1) Learn to be strong but not rude. It is an extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It's not even a good substitute.
2) Learn to be kind but not weak. We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn't weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell somebody the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not deal in delusion.
3) Learn to be bold but not a bully. It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of your group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, and discover the first sign of trouble.
4) You've got to learn to be ...
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B176 & M144
Word Count: 776
How To Run An Effective Business Meeting!
How productive are your business meetings? Would you describe the culture that governs your meetings to more resemble World War III or crazy chaos? During a meeting, do you focus on the agenda at hand or do you concentrate more on breaking a foam cup into bits? Would you qualify eating all of the donuts in a meeting as a major accomplishment in your agenda? If these meeting scenarios sound familiar to you, you are not alone! Many studies have shown that more time is wasted in meetings than in any other business activity. It is estimated that people spend 20-40% (upper management is much more) of their time in meetings and that meetings are only 44-50% efficient (source: Steve Kaye). By improving the efficiency of your next meeting, you may increase your bottom line.
The first step in improving the efficiency of your business meetings is to recognize that meetings are a collaborative effort. The very definition of a meeting is a TEAM activity where SELECT people gather to perform WORK that requires GROUP effort. All participants of a meeting, therefore, must play a role in remaining focused and progressing through the meeting in a timely manner.
Before calling a meeting, it must first be ...
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L160 & SP125
Word Count: 411
Fueling Personal Accountability
Maximize Results through Motivated People
A major responsibility of leaders in organizations has always been to develop plans and lead their people in successful execution. Today’s business environment presents additional challenges to leaders in that change happens faster and more continuously than ever before! This means an increased need for effective and frequent planning, and a smaller margin of error for plans that fail to produce results. We all realize this is a given in today’s business environment.
In addition, have you noticed that the people who make your plans work have also changed? For example, their interpretation of “following the leader” has taken a new direction. In our workplace today, ...
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L161
Word Count:
405
Discover Why Great Leaders Challenge Success
As you look at why people and companies are successful, you quickly realize that they question everything.
WHY?
If you don’t know why you are successful, and what helped get you there, you may be doomed for failure.
Great leaders know this fact and constantly question, challenge, test, and duplicate their successes.
Here are some tips to help you become more successful:
· Customer surveys and group meetings. Implement an annual or bi-annual survey of your customers and find out what they like, what they don’t like, and what you can improve. Another effective way to illicit this information is to have meetings with your customers and brainstorm ways to improve. (Think about what Ford did with the Taurus. The vehicle was a direct result of consumer’s suggestions). Pay close attention to the customers that are unhappy. Let them speak about what they would like to see improved. Then fix it. Whenever possible, allow employees and key personnel to be present.
· Conduct an ...
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L162
Word Count: 840
Achieving Better Execution
Executives in businesses of all sizes have experienced disappointment and frustration when trying to drive changes to achieve maximum business results. Many executives know and acknowledge that their biggest challenge is executing their plans.
Achieving Better Execution (ABE) is an ongoing series of principles that, when applied, lead to better results. I discovered these principles over 20 years as a leader of, participant in, and witness to change initiatives in companies ranging from start-ups to $20 billion in annual sales, in many industries, private and public, and profit and nonprofit. Implementing each principle will have a positive impact on your bottom line. Collectively, they produce dramatic results.
Principle V – State your goals the SMART WAY.
The first step in successfully executing a goal is to state it properly. You know your goal is well stated when anyone who reads it knows exactly what you are trying to accomplish and in what time frame. The better a person states the goal, the easier it is to create the action plan. An acronym commonly used for stating a goal properly is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistically high, and Time-based).
While these criteria seem simple, they are actually not easily achieved. If they were, everyone would be reaching a lot more of their goals. Very briefly, let us discuss what each of these criteria really means:
· Specific – You say exactly what it is you want to do. Hazy goals are doomed to failure. For example, “We are going to establish a new training program for our supervisors by 10/1/XX.” You are not defining what you want to train them to do.
· Measurable – The goal must be stated in a way that allows you to definitely know whether it has been achieved. In addition, you should ...
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L163 & SP127
Word Count: 796
Align Your Organization for SUCCESS
Successful organizations and leaders continually look for ways and areas to improve in order to create a competitive edge. Competing in today’s ever-changing, increasingly global marketplace, challenges organizations to make the best use of their resources. To meet this challenge, savvy leaders invest in developing the strategy, people and processes to most effectively meet their goals.
Contrary to popular belief, organizations do not exist to make a profit. Organizations exist to develop loyal customers by providing valuable solutions and positive experiences. Money and profit is the reward for doing this well. The organizations expending the least amount of resources to achieve their goals have a distinct advantage. That advantage translates to increased revenues, customer loyalty and profit. What do these successful organizations have in common? Their leaders relentlessly pursue the maximum degree of organizational alignment.
What Is Organizational Alignment?
Your car wouldn’t get far if all the wheels pointed in different directions! Yet that’s how many organizations operate—the wheels (resources including time, employees, activities, etc.) aren’t aligned, so the vision is an unattainable destination. Experience shows that the interrelationships between processes and departments are key predictors of overall success. Alignment is when all ...
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B189 & L164
Word Count: 161
Is the economy really in as bad of shape as the media is telling us?
Watch any news program or listen to any radio station and all you hear is how bad our economy is and that there is no relief in sight.
Is it really that bad? How do we know?
We would like to get your opinion!
Please take a couple of minutes to answer the following questions and e-mail them to us.
1. Are the fears of an economic downturn due to the media?
2. Have you changed your lifestyle to accommodate for these challenges?
3. Is business down over last year and is it due to the economy or increased competition in your marketplace?
4. Have you taken your money out of the bank due to fears of a financial crash?
5. Do you think that our perceived slow economy is because it is an election year?
Please e-mail your answer to:[[E-mail Address:200]] Thank You! [[Company: 25]]
(This survey is set up to engage your readers)
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L164
Word Count: 120
Leadership Lessons from the Ant
(Proverbs 6:6-8)
Do
you want to make a difference? Then pay attention to the metaphor of the ant. It’s amazing that one of the smallest of God’s creatures can become one of His greatest teachers. The lessons the ant teaches us can be summarized this way:
A-Attitude of Initiative
Ants don’t need a commander to tell them to get started.
N-Nature of Integrity
Ants work faithfully and need no outside accountability to keep them doing right.
T-Thirst for Industry
Ants work hard and will replace their anthill when it gets ruined.
S- ...
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L165
Word Count: 462
Top 12 Qualities of True Business Professionals
Professionalism is a word embraced by many, but in all honesty demonstrated by far fewer individuals. Its Latin's origins come from the word profess which means, "to avow before." So the question is what are these individuals who believe themselves to be true professionals avowing before? Possibly the answer may be found within the word professional.
1. P = Positively proactive. Professionals demonstrate behaviors that are positive and proactive instead of negative and reactive.
2. R = Respect. Through this ethic and value of respect, professionals are known and trusted within and without their respective organizations.
3. O - Opportunities to help others. Those who avow before understand they have a responsibility to help others whether it is to grow self leadership skills or provide some expert advice.
4. F - Follow-up. No one ...
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B196
Word Count: 695
The Faster YOU Grow, The Faster YOUR BUSINESS Will Grow
What do you want for your business during the next twelve to twenty-four months? Increased Revenues…Greater Customer Retention…Better Margins???? Common objectives, but where do you start? Savvy business owners develop highly effective strategy, people and processes. The savviest also recognize the impact their own personal and professional achievement has on business results.
Why? It’s been said that the only sustainable competitive advantage is the ability to learn faster than your competition. It’s also true that the leader sets the tone for the team. That means it’s critical to stay at the top of your game. Successful leaders regularly take a high level look at their business. A similar personal assessment is also good business practice.
Think of it as a holistic approach to great results. Evaluate, develop and balance organizational, professional, and personal capabilities to get the competitive edge you need.
Leading others and your business is only part of the picture. As a leader, the most important person you lead is YOU. Mastering SELF LEADERSHIP enables you to most effectively lead others.
How much of your personal wealth is tied up in your business? If the answer is much, most or all, it’s even more critical to incorporate personal development into your strategy. YOU are the most critical ingredient in your personal and business success formula and you can’t afford to skimp on your own development.
How to Begin—How do you become a better ...
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M148
Word Count: 398
Providing Opportunities for Employee Engagement
Employees who have a passion for what they do are practically self-engaging. In other words, they seek out reasons to stay engaged in their job and with the company. But what about those employees who aren’t quite as passionate, for whatever reason? The fact of the matter is that you can lead them down the road to engagement just by providing opportunities for them to do so.
Many times, employees don’t need a reason to become engaged. What they really need is the chance to become engaged. Below are five ways in which you can provide opportunities to do just that.
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SP129
Word Count: 337+202
Business Process Improvement For Better Results
Business Process Improvement (BPI) is a structure which allows companies to know the process to getting better and more efficient results to make money. This is a business dream to always know the best method to increase your bottom line. When a business wants to increase revenue, a business process improvement strategy is very important to research. There are many companies who have tried this in the past and have succeeded. The basic elements in the business process improvement plan are:
1. Understand your company’s business current process- This is what you need to know before even thinking to change or modify any business process improvement plan that has already been implemented. Knowing what the current situation of your business is right now is very important for the success of the plan. If you don’t have an idea of what they are, then your planning will not succeed. Always know this before by looking into your company’s archives. This could be achieved very easily if you know where to look.
2. Road map- Having a plan of action, or “road map” to ...
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L166
Word Count: 427
Shared Leadership
If you look at the most successful teams in any sport, you will find a common bond within the team. Sometimes, it is called chemistry – as if just the right mix of chemicals has created a special new formula. Other times, it is postulated that there was strong leadership provided by key players and everyone else responded favorably to their lead or “charisma”.
I believe there is merit to the leadership issue – with one notable exception. If a team begins to heavily rely upon their selected or anointed leader – they become dependent upon the leader for their overall performance. While great leaders are necessary and very helpful to raising performance standards – true leadership for high performance teams is shared leadership.
Let me explain…when a team has “a” leader, the team becomes dependent upon the leader for their confidence and most importantly – their “will” to win! This is fine as long as the leader is focused, injury-free and having a good game. However, if the leader is ...
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L167 & B199
Word Count: 453
The Cost of Keeping Non-Performers
You may be surprised on the amount of money that is wasted when you have non-performers in your business. With businesses feeling the economic crunch, it is important to be able to recognize those who are hard workers, and those who are only costing you money. There are many reasons why eliminating the non-performers in your business is a smart business move.
Here are some reasons why you should not keep the non-performers in your company:
1. They Cause Bad Customer Service- If you have a non-performer in your place of business, their attitude is going to show to your clientele. The non-performers won’t feel impelled to give good customer service and often don’t want to do anything to help the company. Your clientele doesn’t want to deal with someone who is not catering to their needs, especially when they are buying from you. As the business owner, you must address these issues before your clientele starts using your competitor(s).
2. They Cost You A Lot Of Money- When a non-performer is not doing his or her job, it is costing you money and productivity. Plus, you ...
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L168
Word Count: 570
Six Keys to Unleashing Awesome Leadership
For many years we have been studying leadership, and it is the topic of development courses, books, workshops, keynote speeches, blogs, and so forth. Are leaders born or made? Who are our best examples of leadership? Is good leadership different today than twenty years ago? Who was a better leader: Lincoln or Patton?
We read the Harvard Business Review, participate in social media on the topic, belong to Mastermind Groups, and participate in forums to the point where the term “leadership” has almost become weak from overuse. I recently received a complimentary copy of “The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus”. Come on, people, how far is this going to go? How much longer will we exploit the topic of leadership while we change nothing in the places that really matter (Our governments, businesses, communities, and families)?
The fact remains that the more we study leadership, the fewer examples of great leadership we see. Are we simply more aware because bad leadership has been exposed recently, or are our leadership skills getting worse? Possibly both.
So, let’s take ...
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C121 / L169
Word Count: 313
"Do You Need To Enhance Your Leadership Skills?"
Executive coaching is a powerful way to develop leadership skills and to help drive successful outcomes. Companies are investing in executive coaching opportunities at a rate of about $1 billion annually and growing at a rate of about 40% per year for one-on-one help for increased performance.
Executive coaching helps create awareness, improve performance, generate action, facilitate learning and growth, and helps develop sustainable attitudes, skills, and behaviors for positive results.
It is only effective when the executive realizes that a coach can help them “get where they want to go” and are open to change.
A good coach will help you prioritize your goals, achieve your goals, make better decisions, utilize your potential to its fullest, increase motivation, eliminate obstacles, improve morale, and enhance relationships.
Coaching should be ...
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M154 / L170
Word Count: 333
Developing Trust Will Boost Morale
Trust is an essential part of good morale within any organization. If you don’t have trust within your company, chances are that your people are not as productive as they could be…. Or should be. Without trust often there is fear. Fear will hold your people back from trying new things, being innovative, and offering up ideas. Morale tends to be very low without trust and people may just do what is necessary to get by.
Good performance starts with honest, open communication, and trust among the entire staff. Everyone must feel that their opinion counts and that they are free to ask questions. Plus words and actions must be congruent. No hidden agendas. If you say one thing and do another, people will believe your actions not your words. Morale will take a dive and people will stop believing what you say.
As a manager, leader, owner, CEO, or president of a company building trust and boosting morale starts with you! Take these steps and start today.
Give your employees / staff the ...
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L171 / H183
Word Count: 616
Want To Move High Potentials Into Star-Performers?
You'll need something more than just a token effort when it comes to cultivating workers with the most potential to grow into corporate-level leadership roles. Leadership talent—otherwise known as high potentials—can actually be generated through the speed-to-market product methodology the same way competitive advantage is fostered. More to the point, this is one of the best methods out there to accelerate a high potential's growth into superstardom, so to speak. By effectively nurturing the competencies and leadership skills of these prospects, you'll be able to firmly tell which of them will eventually become the future leaders of your company.
You should be able to distinguish yourself from your competitors and extend your competitive advantage in the field by becoming the ideal organization when it comes to farming and cultivating potential talents.
To be true, the demand for these possible star performers is rapidly outgrowing the supply, so you must be prudent when handling this issue. Active focus on recognizing and developing these diamonds in the rough is certainly commendable, but very few businesses are able to accomplish this task in an effective manner.
Studies and Profiles of High Potential Development
The Corporate Leadership Council conducted a recent survey that revealed ...
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H184 / L172
Word Count: 584
How To Successfully Fix The Hiring Process With Job Benchmarking
If you missed our previous articles "Job Benchmarking To Improve the Bottom Line,” and / or Using Job Benchmarking To Avoid Unnecessary Costs please contact us.
Sometimes the hiring process can be very tricky. The things that we look for when we’re hiring somebody are not necessarily the things that are going to make them successful in a particular role. When you consider what a hiring individual will look at and how they will react to a candidate you can see how mistakes might happen in the hiring process.
You've probably heard the expression that first impressions are important. This is very true and there are differing opinions about how long it takes for one individual to assess another person. The general consensus is that it does not take very long for one person to decide whether or not they like another person. It's easy to see how this can influence people to make hasty decisions about hiring somebody for a job.
The reasons that one person hiring another might have bias can come from a number of different sources. It can come down to the color of the clothes that the person being interviewed is wearing. The interviewer might not do this consciously, as if they don't like the color of a blouse or a tie the candidate is wearing they might be judging them adversely without even knowing it.
There can be positive bias as well. Sometimes a more ...
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L173
Word Count: 593
“Proven Techniques To Help You Develop Leadership Skills - Guaranteed!”
As leaders of businesses, it is often hard to keep up with the times and mold yourself into a great leader. Many people look to people who are great leaders like; Bill Gates and Steve Jobs for inspiration. They study these people to see what they have done to make their businesses into international superstars. There are many leaders to pull from for inspiration. Finding the right niche to help you advance is an important factor to focus on. When you have the right motivation and niche to help you, you are ready to begin the process of becoming a great leader. It is going to be a long road full of difficulties and stress, but like so many leaders have discovered, it will be worth your time and investment. Here are a few suggestions to help you develop yourself into a great leader:
1. Look to the past- Whether this is through mentors such as Roosevelt, Truman, Gates, or Jobs, focusing information from great leaders of the past and the traits they carried is a way of developing great leadership traits of your own. Leaders in the past have had experiences that will help you to not repeat their mistakes and benefit from their successes. Granted, you are not running a country, but you are running something that is your livelihood. You can gain experiences when you listen to their counsel, identify the traits that are successful, and mimic their strategies.
2. Train like ...
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L174 / H189
Word Count: 430
How to Develop Top Talent Within Your Company
Most would agree that any organization is only as good as its employees. Creating a high performance company filled with talented workers has been the Nirvana that most CEO’s and other company leaders dream of. This is not easy to achieve by any means, and tends to be an ongoing aspiration. Voltaire said, “Grow your own gardens,” and he was right. It is up to company executives to learn to recognize and foster those talented individuals with potential for development within an organization.
Three things that can boost talent and lead to the highest performance are:
o Hiring strong and agile leaders who can easily adapt to change
o Building strong employ engagement so that workers become committed to delivering on strategic goals
o Make collaboration work for your company
In order to give talent a real chance within your organization, it is important to be on the constant lookout for ...
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L175
Word Count: 508
Leadership Traits and Development of Your Best People
When hiring the talented performers that will set your company apart
from competitors, it is important to look for certain leadership traits that can be developed in ways that can strengthen your organization and make it a force to be reckoned with. (Seek potential leaders
who share your same goals for company development and mesh with your organization.) Choose those that will become admired leaders that the rest of your employees can look up to.
To begin, think of the etymology of the word, “leader”. A leader is one who inspires or guides others, so begin your search with this thought in mind. It is not complicated. The leaders shine. They have the potential to influence the path your organization takes down the road to success. Their personnel files are the first places to look for evidence of real leadership qualities.
Learn to position leaders within the ...
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Word Count: 366
Do you have it…? How do you know?
You quite possibly have the competitive advantage within your people / staff to drive your company to the next level. Leadership and the spirit of leadership may exist within your company, but how do you take advantage of and / or inspire your people to recognize, utilize, learn, and develop into incredible leaders?
It starts with you! If you are not a great leader it is hard to inspire leadership within others. If you are a great leader… what is it that makes you the leader that everyone wants to follow?
If you think about the traits of a great leader, you will quickly notice that all (or most) of the traits are learned and developed.
Leadership characteristics like:
Being a good communicator, creativity, sincerity, leading by example, good decision making skills, listens to others objectively, being open minded, having a positive attitude, hiring the right people, providing direction, focus, commitment, and determination are all skills, traits, & characteristics that can be developed.
There are other characteristics that are ...
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L177-Exceptional Leaders Don't Hunker Down
Word Count: 298
Exceptional Leaders Don't Hunker Down
When times are tough, there is a temptation to hide out in order to avoid the shame of things not going well. Ego can be tied to one's job responsibility and most of us don't do shame well. Hiding might mean focusing on just the numbers and internal dynamics that must be managed during financial difficulties. One's head is down and concentrating with a short term focus.
Exceptional leaders know that they must expand their horizon and engage all stakeholders in tough times. Connecting stakeholders to the longer term vision of new possibilities inspires them to support tough decisions and critical goals.
This means having constructive conversations with vendors when payables are extended; keeping employees abreast of the truth of the situation; managing the relationship with customers and attaining new customers, as well as regularly communicating and negotiating with bankers and equity shareholders.
When this is done and everyone is ...
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L178-Developing Your Leadership Bench
Word Count: 224
Developing Your Leadership Bench
Change is inevitable.... With the influx of baby boomers retiring, business growth, outsourcing, resizing, downsizing, etc.... you always have a need for exceptional leaders. You know the leaders that can take your company to higher levels. One of the greatest traits of an excellent leader is in how well they develop others. Focusing on hiring, training, and developing the future leaders of a company they will ensure successful growth. This will prepare the company for any transition that may arise.
Successful leaders make sure their 'bench' is strong and ready. They plan by focusing on the details, ...
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L179
Word Count: 200
EXCEPTIONAL LEADERS...
Align Their Body With Their Intentions
The way you carry yourself has an impact on how you are perceived by others. Your "bearing" can convey confidence, poise, decisiveness and openness. It can also convey arrogance, aloofness, indecisiveness and powerlessness.
Your posture also can have a significant impact on your internal state. Are you ambitious, full of energy, or are you listless and resigned? How you carry your body will influence your moods and what you can achieve. Concave chest, stooped shoulders, slow movements, and shallow breathing can lead to disempowered states, while erectness, deep breathing, sureness of movement can be empowering.
When you shift how you hold your body, new behaviors become possible.
Thought Provoker
* Do you ...
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L180
Word Count: 241
EXCEPTIONAL LEADERS... Are Outrageously Positive
Research has shown that being positive and reacting positively yields better results in every aspect.
Exceptional Leaders know that being positive pays big dividends. Moods are contagious.
Some leaders default to what’s wrong. Their first response to new ideas is “no”. They sort for the negatives, i.e. what’s wrong, what’s flawed, what’s missing and what won’t work. This approach has some value; however, it is valuable only after the positives have been mined, and in the context of consciously playing the devil’s advocate.
In looking for what is right, what could work and what is working, the Exceptional Leader balances out the negative and critical approaches. The ratio should be 5 or 6 times positive for one negative.
* How do ...
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B226
Word Count: 634
Teaching Employees How to Deal with Emotions in the Workplace
Good or bad and whether we like it or not, emotions are abundant in the workplace. There has always been some question as
to why employees behave a certain way while at work and now there is an explanation. Emotion and mood greatly affect how one behaves. Recently, it has come to light how important it is know and understand
the distinction among the two. Why? As an employer, your bottom line is to run a successful business and make a profit. Learning how to recognize and deflate an emotionally saturated situation will only
benefit your bottom line.
Emotions are classified as being temporary and often intense by nature encompassing a full spectrum of feelings ranging from fear, anxiety, sadness and happiness. Often, the first three on the spectrum lead to feelings of anger. Anger leads to poor workplace behavior which is often experienced on different levels by males and females.
It is important to understand what constitutes emotions in order to construct a course of action, turning bad behavior into good.
On the contrary, moods tend to last for shorter periods of time and their origins are not quite as well known. Some wake in a disdainful or cheerful mood, carrying it to work with them. There is a correlation between ...
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Word Count: 269
EXCEPTIONAL LEADERS... Are Open to New Ideas
Exceptional Leaders know that their reaction to new ideas will either encourage or discourage innovation and creativity.
Some leaders respond to new ideas in ways that turn off others. They become negative when new ideas are presented. “It won't work.” “We tried that before.” Or they instantly come up with other ideas that shut down the presenter. Worse yet, they may take credit for new ideas when they initially responded negatively.
Exceptional Leaders respond to new ideas in ways that support others’ innovation and creativity. A good example is the President of HEB Grocery who did not think that the Central Market concept would work, but allowed them to go ahead and open a pilot store.
He found out that he was wrong. Central Market has become very successful.
When leaders discourage innovation and creativity, people tend to ...
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Word Count: 244
Exceptional Leaders know that losing critical employees can be a significant blow to an organization. And in today's robust economy, companies are more vulnerable to turnover.
Ambitious people need to feel that they are valued. They need to be challenged, appreciated, rewarded and respected. Exceptional Leaders ensure that these needs are met.
Most resignations come from dissatisfaction with the boss, the culture, the job, career progress, or, on occasion, inequitable compensation.
Exceptional leaders are continually alert to sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction among their employees. They take ...
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B229-1011-Visible Personal Accountability is Critical to the Creation of Business Success
Word Count: 533
Visible Personal Accountability is Critical to the Creation of Business Success
In today’s business world, being a personally accountable organization is more valuable than ever before. The average consumer has his hands full just
trying to pay the mortgage. Often, consumers complain that they have no confidence in the government, in banking, or in big business because these industries lack personal accountability. Where personal
accountability is maximized, consumer confidence is increased. This increase in consumer confidence leads to the result every business is seeking to obtain; a healthy profit. Show a person that a business
takes responsibility for its actions and decisions, and that person begins to trust.
Locate the Personal Accountability in Your Business
In any business, the people working on the bottom level tend to have the most visible accountability system. This is standard practice because the newest employees often need the most oversight. Moving up in the chain of command, that visible system of accountability seems to disappear. This lack of visible accountability is the reason that mistakes go unnoticed until a corporate catastrophe occurs. Looking at those at the very top of their business, it is easy to see that success can be measured in personal accountability.
The fear of ...
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L183-1011-Do You Have What it Takes to Manage a Crisis?
Word Count: 633
Do You Have What it Takes to Manage a Crisis?
Personal Accountability in the Workplace
Everyone needs it, but not everyone has it. It’s referred to as personal accountability and it’s the foundation for building the necessary skills it
takes to be accountable for one’s own actions. This is not always an easy task, but it is one prized by many companies and employers. Those with a strong sense of personal accountability are responsible,
focused on producing results, and make immense contributions to the company.
You may be wondering how personal accountability has any bearing on managing a crisis in the workplace. Who would you rather have leading your team through a crisis situation? Someone who is quick to transfer blame to others or someone who is willing to stand up, take charge and is not afraid to hold themselves accountable if their plan of action goes awry?
When a crisis occurs in the workplace it means there is an overwhelming and urgent need that must be met. A leader with personal accountability not only possesses the ability to recognize the need but also the qualities and knowledge needed to nullify the situation.
Leadership Turnaround Qualities
When it comes to business turnaround strategies, the optimal...
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L184-1011-Exceptional leaders foster employee engagement
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An engaged employee is someone who is motivated, finds personal worth in their work and is committed to the accomplishment of goals. They consider their contribution to
the organization as essential to achieving organizational goals. Exceptional Leaders know that effective leadership is the key to developing and maintaining employee engagement.
Typically 50% of employees are engaged, 30% not engaged and 20% disengaged. Research and common sense say that companies with more employees who are engaged are more successful, have higher productivity, have better customer relations, and have more positive organizational culture.
* Are your employees enthusiastic about what they do, or are they resigned, going through the motions, or acting powerless?
* Do your employees have ...
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L185-1111-EXCEPTIONAL LEADERS... Invite the Truth
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To be effective, leaders must know what is really going on within their organization.
Inherent in the nature of organizations and individuals is a tendency toward fear. This fear causes employees to not communicate bad news, lest they be held responsible.
Some leaders’ negative reactions to bad news can cause employees to either soft pedal the truth or simply not communicate it. This causes “CEO’s disease,” the condition of being blind to what is really going on—a sure path to failure as a leader.
Some leaders invite the truth and react to communications in a way that drives out the natural fear that exists in most organizations. They create strategies and develop competencies that create a culture of trust.
They know what is going on, both the good news and the bad news, and can therefore respond appropriately in terms of the needs of the business.
* Are you getting the truth?
* Are you aware of the natural ...
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L186-1111-What Are The Challenges To Managing Top Talent?
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What Are The Challenges To Managing Top Talent?
As we close out this year and begin the next, the economy has left us wondering what the future will hold for our business, leaders, & strategies. Despite the perception that the
global economy woes would increase the talent supply, it still remains a leading challenge facing all corporations globally. As a matter of fact, attracting, developing, & maintaining top talent is the
number one issue facing companies of all sizes globally.
Talent is no doubt critical to business success. Every organization aims to grow its talent in addition to widening the knowledge base of its employees. However, with increased competition and every organization racing to secure the best talent, management of this talent is likely to become even more challenging this year.
Top talent management challenges / trends include:
1. Outsourcing
2. Development ....
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L187-1111-Exceptional Leaders Don't Rest On Their Laurels
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Exceptional Leaders... Don't Rest On Their Laurels
In today's fast past business world, the expression "what have you done for me lately?" is even more of an imperative. Leaders have high expectations of employees and organizations have high expectations of leaders.
It is fine to take pride in past accomplishments. This does not mean however, that it is a reason for current entitlement. Leaders must produce in the present and focus on the future, not past glories.
Even in retirement, high profile executives, such as Lee Iacocca and Jack Welsh, are still in the game of writing best selling books and consulting rather than focusing on the past.
Thought Provoker
* To what degree do you focus on past glories?
* Is there anyone ...
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L188-0212
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Exceptional Leaders... Declare the Future
Our Founding Fathers “declared” our independence. Exceptional Leaders know that to create a desired future, they must declare it. This then creates the space, energy and enthusiasm for them and for others to make it a reality.
Bill Gates's declaration was ‘a computer on every desk running Microsoft software.” This is now realized, and Microsoft is struggling to find the next declaration that will propel them into the future.
Google’s mission “is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” This declaration certainly seems to be working for them.
Making declarations, even with a shorter term perspective, can be powerful. Examples are: “we will increase sales by 20% this next year” and “we will launch this product by March 1st.”
Thought Provoker
* What future ...
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L189-0212
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Exceptional Leaders... Understand Cultures
By seeing the big picture, Exceptional Leaders learn to understand the cultures of the groups with whom they are dealing. In our four quadrant model, the collective interior subjective (lower left quadrant) should be taken into consideration in all decisions and evaluations.
Executives who just focus on the transactional commercial aspects of the business (lower right quadrant) can be blindsided by the important dynamics of culture. You see many examples of this when large change initiatives are not successful, such as a merger. If one only looks at the commercial aspects and ignores the cultural dynamics such as shared beliefs among employees or customers (“this is what our customers want”) and values (“this is what is really important to us”), significant resistance can emerge, resistance which could prove fatal to a successful outcome.
Thought Provoker
* What are the core beliefs and values of the organizational culture in which you find yourself?
* Do you really know how ...
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L190-0312-Exceptional Leaders Are Socially Aware
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Exceptional Leaders…Are Socially Aware
Exceptional Leaders listen intently and pick up empathetically on the un-spoken and intuitive clues from others. They grasp the other person's perspective and emotions. This allows for more effective communications and connections with others.
Sometimes we don't pick up cues, such as when to end a conversation. The other person can be giving all kinds of non-verbal cues that they want to complete the conversation and yet we keep on talking. We either misjudge or are unaware of the other person's internal state.
Getting a sense of what is going on with another person, generally, and in one-on-one, communication is a foundational skill for influencing others. Sensing how others are feeling is an aspect of being emotionally intelligent.
Sometimes in order to validate what is going on with another person, and not simply mind read, we need to ask them. We can then fashion our communication in a way that will be effective.
Thought Provoker
* Do you have an ...
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M162-32912-Become a Great Manager-Leader Today
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Become a Great Manager / Leader Today
Becoming
a great manager or leader does not just happen overnight. It takes ongoing
effort and inspiration to manage others well. Earning respect and motivating
your staff requires a fresh perspective every day while at the same time being
consistent.
Always be willing to learn and improve yourself. A great manager sets the example for everyone. Staff notices when you strive for higher knowledge and greater achievements. They observe your attitude and emulate it to become better themselves.
Managers often want their staff to take on challenges but may be reluctant to take them on themselves. Rise to the occasion and accept assignments that are more challenging. Continue to reach for higher goals. Work hard to move up the ranks of any business enterprise.
Top managers also realize there is no room for fear when it comes to success. Embrace ...
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L191-32912-Exceptional Leaders Are Willing to Make Tough Decisions
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Exceptional Leaders… Are Willing to Make Tough Decisions
It can be difficult to know the right time to make a decision—but at the same time, not making a decision is in fact a decision.
Many times the most difficult decisions are not about money, but are about people. For instance, it can be particularly difficult to terminate or transfer an employee due concern that we are doing others harm or that we may be second-guessed by other authorities.
It can be tough making decisions that negatively affect others, contain a high level of risk, or reverse previous decisions.
Exceptional Leaders have the courage to make the decisions necessary to move their organizations forward.
Thought Provoker
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L192-51612-Exceptional Leaders Think Strategically
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Exceptional Leaders… Think Strategically
An Exceptional Leader knows that it takes more than operational effectiveness to succeed in a changing business environment.
Leaders need to see the current whole picture. Their thinking needs to be broad, taking into consideration more than just their areas of day-to-day focus, realizing that all aspects of the business are interdependent and interconnected.
They then need to chart a multifaceted roadmap and make the changes needed to achieve that desired future state.
Thought Provoker
* Are you stuck in ...
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